Techster softball used a shutout pitching performance from its lone senior, Marla Pinkston, to secure a split in the first day of the Mardi Gras Mambo softball tournament hosted by Nicholls State.

The Lady Techsters fell against Birmingham-Southern 6-3 early Saturday but rebounded with a 1-0 victory in a battle against Nicholls State.

In the day?s final game Pinkston (3-3) pitched seven innings scattering six hits while striking out 10 opponents to secure Tech a 1-0 victory.

?This was the best Marla has performed all year,? Dawson said. ?She never gave up more than one hit in any inning and allowed us to win a game that we have lost previously in the season.?

Pinkston?s 10-strikeout performance was her second highest total this season and gave her 19 punchouts in her last two outings.

Neither teams managed much offense with both clubs combining for eight total hits.

The Techsters managed the game?s only run in the bottom of the sixth inning when sophomore left fielder Brittany Stanley reached base on an error and later scored on a wild pitch.

She reached third base in the frame via a stolen base and a subsequent bunt single by fellow sophomore Amber Miles. Miles picked up Tech?s only two hits in the ballgame.

In the Techsters first game of the tournament, Birmingham-Southern used a four-run second inning to take an early lead that Tech couldn?t recover from.

Junior starter Sabra Warner (0-3) picked up the loss allowing six runs (two earned) over two innings. Freshman Kristin Rupp pitched the last five innings in a scoreless relief effort.

Casey Reiff, Jennifer LaRussa and Ashley Aycock each picked up RBIs in the game.

Tech will return to action on Sunday with two games to finish out the tournament.